The Outer Banks hosts a lot of travelers throughout the year, especially during the summer months, and you can bet that those travelers are thirsty and in need of caffeine. Many of them have traveled long hours to get to the Banks. In recent years we’ve seen a string of local coffee shops and roasters spring up around the barrier islands. One of the first we discovered was the Front Porch Cafe.

Front Porch has three locations around Manteo, Nags Head, and Kill Devil Hills. The company is home to Kill Devil Coffee roasters, and you can purchase the beans at the stores. Their chalkboard menus give you a complete list of the beans available and their sources.

The offerings are typical for coffee shops: a wide variety of drinks, plus smaller pastries and snacks.

We were just stopping in briefly for one of our favorite summer coffee drinks: an iced chai tea latte with a shot of espresso. Depending on who you ask, that’s called a dirty chai or red eye chai.

The space is bright and beautiful, without over-doing the beach themes.

We were stopping in for drinks on-the-go, so we didn’t take advantage of the spacious shop. But if you’re in need of a place to work or just relax for a while, Front Porch has the space.

They also have a big display of teas available. Overall, we’ve found Front Porch Cafe to be a very friendly and welcoming stop. It’s nice being able to support local businesses while we’re on the island, rather than running through a generic drive-through. If you’re passing through the area, or if you need some coffee beans for your vacation, stop on in!